middaeg | Confidence is preparation. Everything else is beyond your control.

Entry tags:

food fantasy: red wine

Confidence is preparation. Everything else is beyond your control.

Who: Red Wine & YOU.
When: All through Aguril.
Where: All around - specified in prompts.
What: Open and closed top levels, etc. Hit me up at

hardtostarboard or by PM to plot!
Warnings: None yet, will be noted in subjects.

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No, nothing in particular.

[He sighs softly, giving his line a small twitch so the bait wriggles in the water. While he's not really intending to catch anything, there's something about just sitting here that's calming all by itself.]

I suppose... [And he looks up, frowning slightly.] I've been trying to find my place in all of this. It isn't something I've had to do before.

Ah.

[ Iramaat frowns and watches his line trail in the water. She's not sure what to say about that. ]

...I've been struggling with that, too, honestly. I've always known where I belonged, but now it's different. How do you navigate a world where you no longer feel as if you belong?

Mm. That's the crux of it.

[He hunches forwards slightly, looking down into the water and the reflections shimmering over the surface, broken only by the small ripples coming from the line and the gentle waves rocking up against the wood of the docks.]

I always had some kind of place, on Tierra. From the moment I was summoned I had a place, and though after my Attendant died, it changed, I still had something. Here, it's... [A soft 'tch' clicks against the roof of his mouth.]

I suppose I ought to stop complaining about it and try to change it, hm?

That... would be the sensible thing to do.

[ She laughs, although there's a trace of something sad in it. ]

I've been doing my best, but... just recently I feel like I've finally come out of deep water. I finally have a bond. I finally feel like I'm figuring out who I am here, you know?

[ Even if that means being terrible. ]

I understand.

[He puffs out a breath. Though he doesn't think he'll ever be happy being here, he feels like he could probably get used to it. If not for the full moon's pull on them all it might even be comfortable.

Red Wine glances to her with a small smile.]

I hope it hasn't been too difficult for you. Self-discovery can be a bumpy road.

It... is what it is.

[ Iramaat frowns. ]

I'm used to winning. So it's been an adjustment. I don't like it, though. Being mortal. It's awful.

[Another nod. Their experiences in their own worlds may have not been so different.]

It is. I've always been aware that my existence might come to an end in some way, but Food Souls don't die in the same way that humans do.

Food Souls? I don't think I heard the explanation for that. What exactly is a good soul?

I know the history.

[Not all Food Souls do, or they lack the vocabulary (or interest) to explain it.]

Would you prefer the concise version, or the detail?

Concise will do for now, I think.

[ She hums thoughtfully. ]

Although I'll probably ask questions.

Very well.

[Red Wine clears his throat.]

The God of Beginnings released an infinite number of souls into the world, and they fused with animate and inanimate things. Over time, humans learned how to summon the souls contained within foods in physical form and bind them into service.

That's... certainly interesting. I hadn't thought that food had spirits, but here we are.

[ She laughs quietly. ]

So humans brought you into your present form?

[He nods.]

When we're first summoned, the wishes of the human who summons us dictates our physical form. Sometimes they aren't even aware of what they want. My Master Attendant was very clear on her expectations... and thus I formed as you see me. [A beat follows, and then a slightly wry smile.]

More or less.

[ Iramaat laughs and doesn't bother to hide it. ]

Well, I can't say she had bad taste - or is that too gauche of me?

[The vampire laughs in turn, a warm chuckle along with a small shake of his head.]

Not at all. I'm well aware of my aesthetic appeal.

Then if I ever meet your summoner, I will thank her.

[ Look at her, laying it on thick. ]

[His smile turns a little wistful.]

She died a long time ago. [And yet, the loss still aches.] I'm not sure what I'd do if I saw her again.

Ah. That does happen, I suppose, with humans. They die...

[ She trails off, looking lost in thought. ]

Have you thought about that? Becoming mortal here? Or... mortalish if you're a vampire.

Mm. It's crossed my mind more than once.

[He doesn't continue the thought for a few seconds, lost in watching the ripples on the water again. Then, as if suddenly coming back to himself, he pulls in a quick breath and subtly shifts position.]

Food Souls can die, of a fashion, but not in the way that humans understand. If we lose too much spirit power, either through injury or exertion of it, we... diminish. It's never happened to me, but it doesn't seem a comfortable way to exist.

It's... sort of the same for fae, I imagine. We don't really die. We sleep or we fade, but we don't die. And now living like this, knowing my body is going to age and that one day it will just stop...

[ Iramaat sighs. ]

I don't like it.

[Red Wine's expression shifts into a faint grimace, though one directed more at what Iramaat implies than the woman herself. He sighs, resting his weight back slightly, and closes his eyes.]

There's a great deal not to like about being here. [He says, almost thoughtfully.] I find... I sometimes envy the people who seem to be able to enjoy it. I'm not always as dour as I seem, at least not in normal circumstances.

I enjoy parts of it. Other parts not so much.

[ She hums, chin in her hands. ]

You don't seem all the dour to me, but maybe that means we just need to spend more time together.

[He chuckles.]

Clearly I'm not trying hard enough.

[But he does enjoy spending time with Iramaat. Their conversations are always interesting.]

I wouldn't object to seeing you more often, but I'd so hate to ruin your impression of me.

Think nothing of it. I doubt you could ruin my impression at this point.

[ She laughs and leans over to give him a nudge with her elbow. ]

I think I shall stick around to see if you can, though.

[He chuckles, giving her a gentle nudge in return. And-- god, he had missed just sitting with someone and trading gentle jibes like this. Everything had been so tied up in stress and anger since he'd arrived here.]

I don't think I'll ever get used to being here. [Red Wine admits, humming softly.] But I suppose it might be close to tolerable, some day.

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wylderrant - 2020-09-21 01:53 (UTC) - Expand

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